"Nothing? Lad, you can't be serious," Winters said.

"You're not letting him finish, sir," Jiehong said, speaking softly to show respect.

Zan took another deep breath. Then said, "Sir. Nothing except," another deep breath. "A formal recognition of my 'autonomous' status."

Caught off-guard, Winters did not expect a request such as Zan's. "Formal recognition?" Winters asked. "I've already dubbed you an autonomous agent empowered to take control of royalist forces under my command. I am merely confused about what exactly you are asking."

"I mean -- that, what you said -- but for the entire royal army," Zan said.

Winters could not but chuckle at Zan's request. It was not cruel laughter, Jiehong felt, but it strangulated the nonconfrontational tone of what so far had been an uneventful de-briefing.

"Lad... that is a heckle of an ask! I do not have the power to extend autonomous status over all of the military. Only the Supreme General or King could authorize such a request," Winters explained.

Everyone expected a reply from Zan. But he remained quiet. Tired?

Holding himself firmly as a wounded youth could, Zan remained stoic. He simply said, "You said anything."

"Within reason, lad..."

He continued to hold. Zan's face could pass for a gambler's static. He did not snarl or put on a bad show. Zan simply maintained his request.

Winters broke first and said, "Fine. If you are insistent on this, I will see what I can do, lad. I will talk to our viceroy. See if he can't speak to someone higher than him. Get an audience. Then there will be meetings... This will not happen overnight, understand. It will require powerful people meeting and talking."

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"That's fine. I am patient," Zan replied.

Trying a final attempt at negotiation, Winters asked, "Are you sure you would not like a more tangible reward, Zan? Something to help your burgeoning order, such as what either of your compatriots asked for? I know people. I could procure for you land deeds. Honestly, the land might not be the best land, but you would own it. Tax-free!"

Although the idea of tax-free land did intrigue Jiehong, being only a teenager, the idea was more an idle curiosity than anything with tangibility. How tax-free land would fit into Jiehong's image of his future was as of yet an unknown. And therefore, moot.

Jiehong did say, though, "Just to add my opinion on this matter. It might be worthwhile, Zan. Land ownership could help us a lot long-term."

Zan shook his head. "No. I want the status. There is a lot of ways to own land. Owning urban property would help us how? Same question for land we can't get to or is unvaluable. My status, though? That could help us on the battlefield. It could save lives."

Jiehong debated Zan about this for a long while. Winters poked his opinion in as well. Whiskey mostly stayed out of it, though she did say she thought the 'status' might be worthwhile for the moment because they already had and requested certain property-oriented rewards.

"If it will make everyone feel better, I will sleep on it," Zan said. "But consider my final answer the status."

"Okay. If that is what you really want, then forget the sleeping part," Winters said.

Thinking the conversation had ended there, before they left the room, Winters stopped them and said to Zan, "Actually. One last word. How about this? I solidify your autonomous status under my command when you work for me. That is, after you've filled out some forms. After you've touched on royal army protocol -- since you're still iffy on the general dynamics. Do this, take a lesser reward, and I promise I will, when the time is right, advocate for your status across the whole army when and if you continue to prove yourself capable of leading massed throngs of men in battle."

Clear to Jiehong Zan was thinking Winters's request over, Jiehong hoped to heck and back Zan would take the offer. Anyone could see how this offer was not only the most generous yet but the most stable politically speaking. All Zan had to do was say 'yes.' So, would he?

Zan's eyes drooped before he spoke. He said, "Fine. I accept. I will be back tomorrow to do those forms and trainings."